User Sorts Reddit Comments By "Controversial" and Is Surprised By What He Discovered

One Reddit user thought he was seeing the internet at its worst, and for a while, it really looked that way.

After sorting a thread by "Controversial," Redcrux started running into comment after comment that seemed packed with trolls, racists, and the kind of people most users try to avoid. The problem was not just the replies, it was that the setting had followed him beyond the one thread where he changed it.

Once he figured out what happened, the whole experience made a lot more sense, and the reactions from other redditors only added to the story.

The user posted his experience in the Today I F*cked Up (TIFU) subreddit.

Redcrux

He thought he had stumbled into a nightmare feed.

Did he make the same mistake too?

drsyesta

A**holes are often unaware that they're indeed a**holes.

danegraphics

Indeed!

TheGuava1

A**holes being a**holes.

Unendingrebellion

How to witness Reddit madness. (Warning: Not for the faint of heart.)

grubas, Buchymoo

Choosing the lesser evil be like...

VoiceoftheLegion1994

Never sort by controversial. It's for your own good.

Noire_Raven, throwitaway5478

If you're curious, why not? But then again, others would rather bleach their eyeballs.

darkhaven88, staunchchipz

That setting turned out to be the real culprit.

This is similar to the AITA fight over adopting a pet despite a partner’s severe allergies.

How to restore faith in humanity on Reddit

BrentBulkhead, LunarMuphinz

Not the top comment, but probably the best advice.

Original-Dragon

Social media detox

Yukisuna

Don't let things that don't directly affect you harm you.

dob_bobbs

There are good people on Reddit too.

Smirkydarkdude

How to avoid the worst comments on Reddit

ThePinkTeenager, UneasyEspeon

Every platform will have these issues, unfortunately.

Jetm0t0

Some threads, even if you sort by best, contain controversial comments as well.

Aliebaba99, Kevinement

An Irish gay guy's experience

CaoimhinOC

Reddit had plenty of people ready to weigh in.

There are some gold nuggets in here.

CaoimhinOC

A good suggestion

AnonymousEagleThing, dwehlen

Political discussions are indeed the most controversial because they tend to become heated. Others often avoid them because they are fighting over the same old issues endlessly.

kjgardiner, sybrwookie

Now he knows the setting was doing exactly what it was supposed to do.

Moral lesson of the story: Don't sort by controversial.

There are plenty of comments you'd rather not read. When you're exposed to negativity, your mind starts to think negatively as well.

Reading such comments can also shift your perception or even your behavior. Those toxic comments are among the reasons why people's mental health is affected.

Negative comments can influence how your day unfolds. If this becomes a habit, you might find yourself feeling depressed.

If you want to lessen the toxicity and hatred you encounter while browsing Reddit, never use this option. Otherwise, you'll find yourself losing faith in humanity or even worsening your mental health.

He probably won't make that mistake twice.

Still in disbelief? See what happened when someone tried rehoming their cat without consulting their partner.